Murtha: A Congressional Dinosaur Close to Extinction?
Sixty-five million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the earth — with the same unthinking ruthlessness which Rep John Murtha (D, PA-12) rules the House Defense Subcommittee. His own website brags that “[o]f the nearly 10,000 men and women who have served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1789, only 90 have served longer than he has.” But maybe, just maybe, like the dinosaurs, Murtha’s time is up.
There’s much to admire in Murtha’s service, especially his 37 years as an officer in the Marines and the Marine Reserves. He retired a colonel in 1990. And since then… well, maybe not so much.
As a politician, he first came to national attention during the 1980 “ABSCAM” sting, in which one senator and five members of Congress were convicted on bribery charges. While never indicted himself, videotapes released two years ago show that Murtha’s involvement was deep. From those tapes:
Now, as I told Howard, I want to deal with you guys a while before I made any transactions at all, period. In other words, I want to say, “Look put some money in these guys.” And I, just let me know, so I can say, you know, these guys are going to — they want to do business in our district. Then there’s a couple businesses that I’m not personally involved in but would be very helpful for the district, that I could make a big play of, be very helpful to me.
After we’ve done some business, then I might change my mind. But right now, that’s all I’m interested in. Period. And I’m going to tell you this. If anybody can do it, and I’m not bull (expletive deleted) you fellows, I can get it done my way.
Later, Murtha tells the undercover FBI agent, “I’m not interested. At this point.” From the sound of it, had the investigation gone on much longer, Murtha probably would have been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
The problem is that many voters in Pennsylvania know little about John Murtha’s recent nonsense. My own brother who lives in the state says the MSM (main street propagandists) barely mention the controversial congressman. Of course, why should we be surprised? The journalistic community is in the bag for Obama and knows Murtha’s remarks hurt the Democratic Party’s presidential candidates desire to capture Pennsylvania’s twenty-one electoral votes.
A prime example of what’s wrong with Washington.
And you didn’t even mention that the “redneck” remark was actually a clarification made after he came under attack for saying this:
“There’s no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area,” said Mr. Murtha, whose district stretches from Johnstown to Washington County. “The older population is more hesitant.”
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08289/920064-100.stm
How the people of PA can vote for Murtha instead of Russell? I don’t understand, but also, I don’t understand people voting for Obama.
People need to spend time looking beyond MSM.
I donated to Russell and I’m from Texas and live in Florida. I believe that conservatives need to start support conservatives.
If you are a conservative donate $10, etc to Bill Russell at russellbrigade.com.. Stand up conservatives before the time becomes to late…..
CALLING MURTHA A US MARINE IS INSULTING. BILL RUSSELL,A GENUINE HERO,DEFINES THE WORD AND LIVES IT. MURTHA IS A SHAM AMERICAN HATER WHO HAS FINALLY BEEN WXPOSED BY HIS JOE-BIDEN LIKE IGNORANCE. KICK THE FAT COMMIE A-HOLE IN TO THE GARBAGE DUMP HE CLEARLY BELONGS IN. IF HIS CONSTITUENTS CANT REALIZE WHAT THIS LOSER IS,THEN THERES LITTLE HOPE FOR THEM. HOPE YOU CONTINUE POOR AND ILLITERATE IF YOU VOTE FOR COMMIE LOSERS LIKE MURTHA AND OBAMA
I live in Murtha’s district, and am starting to actually believe that Murtha can be defeated. The local media have been giving a little mention of murtha’s recent gaffes, but haven’t been too aggressive. However, I’m seeing plenty of Russell signs, probably as many of them as Murtha signs.
Murtha isn’t a dinosaur, he’s just senile. But, since those around him are making sooooo much money, they just prop him up and let him rant.
What I can’t understand is why ANY Democrats are in either the House or Senate. Now before you call me a right wing nut job I am a registered Democrat and have been for over 30 years. It’s so funny to hear the socialist leftist liberals out there and even regular people too automatically regard Republicans as crooks. While they stand in their living rooms looking out the front door for them crooked Republicans they fail to see the bigger crooks called Democrats coming through the back door. What’s worse is we have an immoral corrupt biased despicable media out there serving those back door crooks. Would you buy an alarm system for your home that constantly broke down and gave you false information, worse yet informed burglers when you were away? You’d fire that company in an instant. The media is that broken alarm system.
Murtha is an embarrassment to the Corp. His service was that of a rear echelon type and he probably never heard a shot fired in anger.
Murtha time for you to take your carcass out to pasture. Keep calling your voters racists and rednecks and you will lose your election to a more deserving person and help McCain win PA.
Was he in mess kit repair?
TO: Stephen Green
RE: These Old Political Farts
Many of these people, e.g., Murtha, Kennedy, Stevens, etc., keep getting re-elected is because they’ve got themselves positions of power. And, for some stupid reason, people who elect them think their being powerful in the legislature is more important than their being morally ‘good’.
Such people have their priorities bass-ackward.
So Murtha is not ‘good’. But we’ve known that for YEARS. And yet the people of his district kept putting him back into office, despite their open knowledge of his blatantly obvious malfunction.
These people, and those in Massachusetts aren’t ‘redneck’….
…they’re barking idiots. But they wouldn’t recognize it until he insulted them on a personal level.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[If you have your priorities in their proper order, everything works out for the best. -- CINC FORSCO, 1982, upon relieving a full colonel brigade commander of 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) for having his priorities bass-ackward.]
Financial Crisis and the Way to Recovery
The term “shocking” can’t even come close to describe the severity of the financial crisis that we are faced with. According to Barack Obama, the only way we can get out of this mess is for this country to adapt socialistic values and enforce socialism by gaining control of all three branches of government. I’m sure that the mountain of money his campaign has collected from domestic and foreign donors, names the Obama campaign won’t disclose, will be used for that purpose. As soon as total control is gained, organizations like ACORN will have a green light to further abuse the law to suppress free speech, control the outcomes of elections and brain wash children in schools to believe that socialism is the answer to all of our problems. With total control of the government, and help from people like Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright and Antoin Rezko, who will probably be pardoned, achieving the ultimate goal, “a life of sexual confusion and moral collapse” will become a strong possibility.
The proof that socialism, or spreading the wealth around does not work can be seen by examining ACORN and its accomplishments by manipulating bancs to make loans to minorities with bad credit. By using charges of racism and threats to use CRA to block business expansions, ACORN and Obama already contributed to the crises we are in today and finding new ways to distribute the wealth will only make the situation much worse. His idea to put a three-month moratorium on foreclosures will further weaken the already fragile banking industry and only benefit delinquent homeowners by allowing them to live rent-free.
In order for our economy to start prospering again, we first need to elect an honest leader who is determined to stamp out the corruption in government and to stop the leftist movement from destroying the middle class. The hard working people can no longer be expected to keep giving until they themselves have nothing left to give.
Cybercorrespondent
http://cybercorrespondent.blogspot.com
I had the misfortune to meet congressman Murtha when he visited my son at Walter Reed Army Hospital in 2007. I had to bite my tongue in order not to speak my mind, out of respect for my son. The only redeeming factor of the entire visit was that he had brought along his side kick comedy act , N. Pelosi.
Undoubtedly the stupidest woman in public office I have ever met in my life. Even Murtha was more impressive than she. Hollywood has its casting couch, I wonder what its called in D.C., knee pads?
Nancy Pelosi isn’t as stupid as people make her out to be. I think she knows EXACTLY what she is doing. When the first bailout bid was going to go down to defeat, she knew it ahead of time. She was simply maneuvering for the Pubs to take the blame in the public eye for the whole mess. She succeeded. She made inflammatory comments towards the Pubs. When the bill failed, people were willing to believe the Pubs chose to throw a tantrum rather than “do what was right for the country”. Their statements that they were against it for real reasons simply lacked the emotional believability of Pelosi’s maneuvered portrayal.
Pelosi and the Dems ALWAYS play hardball politics. they NEVER “do what’s right for the country”. The Pubs end up taking the blame and not getting credit. McCain gets no bump in the polls for his actions in turning the Iraq War around, but manages to get blame for voting for it in the first place.
So, who’s really more stupid: Pelosi or the Pubs?
Murtha has to be a very miserable ***. Send him home.
I had the misfortune to meet congressman Murtha when he visited my son at Walter Reed Army Hospital in 2007.
You passed on an opportunity to kick him in the snerts? What’s wrong with you? You had absolute moral authority, Sheehan-style.
Seriously, praying your son is well, and thanking him for his sacrifice, you have my regards.
He was pulling that !@#$ while he was in the USMCR…..pitiful.
Murtha isn’t the only one in congress to “disdain” his constituents back home … but he sure doesn’t know how to keep his yap shut.
I’m not one to denigrate anyone’s sevice just because they don’t run as republicans (as it seems some on this thread feel), but its time for him to leave congress for sure.
Hello,
How can anybody in there right mind say that they can support this fool anymore? He is not only a dinosaur, but a loser to all levels, and beyond. somebody please help us here. He needs to be put out to pasture, and very fast. It is people like him that gives not only “OUR” military a bad name, but the congress a bad name, and more than all of that his entire community has a Huge bad name for ever electing him in the first place. Please Penn. get rid of this piece of trash, and replace him with somebody that knows when to keep there dam mouths shut when it does not need to be opened.
Thanks,
Larry C.
I live in the 5th, right next door to the 12th. A couple of weeks ago, I drove to Johnstown, the heart of Murtha’s district, for a Palin rally. There were thousands (between 6 and 7 thousand, since the arena seats 6, and the floor was half full) of enthusiastic voters there, and what was striking was that the Democrats only managed to send 20-30 “protesters.” The Russell Brigade was there in full force, handing out hot coffee and hot chocolate, bumperstickers, T-shirts, you name it.
On the other hand, I think I saw more Obama and other Democrat signs in Johnstown than there are in all of Centre County here.
Palin says dinosaurs did not exist 65 million years ago
cant you get your stories straight?
I think a porker like Murtha might be gone.
Is there any true blue conservative who could run against John Murtha?\
Murtha has NEVER apologized for his rant about Haditha. He should have been gone a looooong time ago!!
I am from Murtha’s 12th district and have since moved away to central pa. I have also worked at one the the defense companies that are in Johnstown as a result of Murtha’s pork. I was working at that company during the 2000 election. At the time Murtha was a GOD for the people working at those companies in the Johnstown area. A Murtha visit at the place I worked was a big event that required days of preparation.
What you don’t hear is in the 2000 election, the defense companies in Johnstown were pushing the election of Bush since they would benefit
from increased defense spending. And make no mistake about, Murtha was
allowing this to happen.
People from Johnstown are growing tired of Murtha, but those defense
companies would probably not be in Johnstown without him. That is why he still will likely win.
The problem Murtha has now is that since 2002 the 12th district includes a larger area closer to Pittsburgh. Voters outside of Cambria/Somerset counties aren’t as loyal since they haven’t receive the amount of pork
that Johnstown and somerset county has received.
Russell is the first opponent that has a chance, despite getting lukewarm support from the local Republican committee who has always secretly backed
Murtha.
I hope Russell can pull this one out. I am afraid that Murtha will “find” the votes he needs to win this one. The area needs to start thinking about the future. I would rather have Russell in now than John Wozniak in 2012.
William Russell for Senate in 2010! Keep Chris Matthews from Specter’s seat!
Joe – Thanks for the sitrep. Now, I get it.